Pepper Trees

I’m in Victoria, Australia. I’ve planted a Schinus molle in a small area over an easement without knowing its growth. Should I remove it?

ANSWERS

theficuswrangler

I'm not familiar with the behavior of this tree in your part of Australia, but I am familiar with its cousin the Brazilian pepper tree, here in Florida. It is a terrible invasive specie, and governments are spending millions of dollars to dig them up, because they are destroying whole ecosystems. If they haven't been declared invasive by your government yet, they probably will be in the near future. I would remove it as soon as possible.

What is the life of a California pepper tree I suspect was planted at the time the house was built in 1947? There were 4 but slowly 3 of them died over the last 5 years that were located in one area of the property. Now the largest one appears to have died but I was wondering if perhaps it is not dead but sick. Do you know how long these trees typically live?

ANSWERS

shelleyCertified GKH Gardening Expert

I do believe they can live to be a few hundred years old. What symptoms are your trees exhibiting?

Tree planted 5 yrs ago on lot much lower than our lot but less than 15 ft from our pool. First pool wall began to bulge, and it is now starting to crack. Is tree causing this? My husband says no, as tree is planted lower than pool

ANSWERS

DowntoearthdigsCertified GKH Gardening Expert

If your referring to the California Pepper Tree, yes it most certainly could have roots invading your pool area.
It's root system goes everywhere and anywhere to search for moisture.
It has a surface roots and the roots are invasive and have caused problems with breaking pavement, invading sewers and drains.

I would have your situation looked at by professionals to determine a course of action.